


Candle In The Wind

by quietly_desperate



Series: 15 Days of Fics [5]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alex Hates Christmas, Alex Wants To Cheer Him Up, Also Yes I Spell Mom As Mum, But Not Too Deep, Candles, Christmas Shopping, Fluff and Angst, I’m Not American I Don’t Know Your Stores Sorry, Justin Seems Sad, M/M, Mysterious Justin, Shopping, Short and Abrupt, Shyness, Target
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24787876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietly_desperate/pseuds/quietly_desperate
Summary: “And it seems to me you lived your lifeLike a candle in the wind.”•••Alex hates Christmas shopping. Until he doesn’t.
Relationships: Justin Foley/Alex Standall
Series: 15 Days of Fics [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787188
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	Candle In The Wind

**Author's Note:**

> A random fic based arkind Christmas because why not? Enjoy x

Christmas.

God, Alex _hated_ Christmas.

Christmas sucked. Alex always felt the pressure to buy the perfect present for his loved ones, and that was _hard._ He wasn't a genius. He didn't know what people wanted or needed.

Why were people required to get presents anyway? How did that scream _Christmas?_ Wasn’t Christmas supposed to be religious? Like, Christians celebrated Christmas, right? For the birth of God or something like that.

Alex wished his parents realised the absurdity of celebrating a day that wasn’t even meant for the non-religious like them. What was the point in putting up a tree and cooking up a storm if it didn’t really mean anything?

Alas, they didn't understand his riddles logic, and that's how he found himself at Target on a Friday night. 

This was not how he wanted to spend his Friday night. He could have been getting drunk, or high, or both; but no, he was looking for a goddamn candle for his mum. 

How fabulous.

Why were there so many candles, anyway? There were so many scents, so many designs and types that it was giving him a headache. Weren't candles long and white, not short, fat and pink? Weren't they supposed to smell like wax, not strawberries and cream? Apparently he was quite behind the candle movement. 

He picked up one titled _Home Sweet Home._ It was a creamy brown colour, the length of his hand and the width of his forearm. When he smelt it, it was cinnamon and sweet. Hence _Home Sweet Home,_ he presumed. 

That was an option, he supposed. But then he spotted a pastel green candle and became confused. Green was his mum's favourite colour, but she preferred the scent of cinnamon over mint.

Someone else was in the aisle, down the opposite end. Alex couldn’t see who they were, but judging by the time and the location they were at, he could only presume it was some little old lady looking to spice up her home.

”Hey, which candle do you think I should buy my mum?” Alex asked without looking up from his selection.

He heard, rather than saw, the person move closer towards him. He didn’t look up until he saw their shadow beside his...and instantly regretted all of his life choices. 

He was expecting a sweet old lady on the other end of the aisle, or a fellow male looking for a candle for their wife. Instead, _Justin motherfucking Foley_ was standing right beside him, cheeks flushed and hair mused in a messy way.

”Oh, Justin,” he said rather dumbly. “I didn’t realise it was you. Sorry. Ah, forget I said anything?”

Fat chance of that. What the hell was the star basketball player doing in Target on a Friday night? No doubt he was following Alex to recount his pathetic movements back to the rest of the team come Monday. Ugh, Alex hated his life.

Instead of snickering of brushing Alex off, Justin rubbed the back of his neck and stepped closer, so they were side by side. Alex stiffened, waiting for a blow.

”Christmas shopping for you mum?” Justin asked.

”Yeah,” Alex nodded. “Well, attempting to anyway. Are you...shopping for Jessica?”

”No, we broke up a while ago.”

Alex froze. He didn’t know that. As far as he was concerned - as far as most of the school were concerned - Justin and Jessica were a forever couple. On again, off again, sure, but they always found each other in the end. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise.”

Justin shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “It’s fine, it’s whatever. Anyway, a candle for your mum?”

Alex found himself telling Justin his predicament. He explained his mum’s favour colour, but how she hated mint, and how as much as he preferred the green one, the brown one would suit her better.

When he was done, Justin gently scooped the candles out of Alex’s hands and smelled them, one by one. Alex watched in awe as Justin’s eyes closed as he inhaled, pausing for a moment to appreciate the scent, before he moved on to the next one. He’d never seen him so at ease doing something so mundane. It was fascinating.

”Well, if your mum prefers cinnamon, I don’t think she’s going to care too much for the colour,” Justin said. He handed _Home Sweet Home_ back to Alex. “It’s about the smell, how it fills your home. Get that one.”

Alex grinned. He couldn’t help it. Justin was smiling so brightly and everything felt soft. 

“Ah, thanks. I really appreciate your help.”

”No problem. Glad I could be of assistance.”

They stood there, unsure of the next move. Alex’s heart was thumping so loudly, he could have sworn Justin could hear it. 

“I should go pay for this,” Alex said. He eyed the candle in Justin’s arm; Spearmint Milkshake, if he recalled. “Are you buying that?”

Justin looked down at the candle, then dropped it back on the shelf as if it had burned him. “No, I just forgot I was holding it. Have a good night, Standall.”

”You, too, Foley!” Alex called back, but Justin was gone.

This shopping trip wasn’t about Justin. In fact, until ten minutes ago, Alex hadn’t even been thinking of Justin. He just so happened to show up at the right time, offer some quiet, almost shy assistance, then drift back out of Alex’s life again as if he was never there. 

Justin tended to flicker a lot. Like a candle in the wind.

When Alex got home, he dumped the candle in the back of his closet in a weak attempt of hiding it. It wasn’t like his mum would be around to look for it before Christmas, but Alex was desperate for some normality. Whatever that was. 

He kept thinking back to the green candle, how deeply Justin had inhaled its scent, and how he had held on to it like a lifeline even after giving Alex his candle. He wondered whether Justin was too embarrassed to buy it in front of him.

It was there and then that Alex made the decision to buy Justin the candle. He hadn’t bought any of his friends anything for Christmas, yet here he was, deciding to get something for Justin. There was a quiet sadness to him when he was at the store, and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if he could change that, even with something as small as a candle. 

For the first time in his whole life, Alex had an idea on what to buy someone for their Christmas present. He couldn’t wait to give it to Justin on Monday, to see his face light up and to know that he’d done something right. There wasn’t even any doubt to it - he just knew that it was the right thing to do. 

Maybe Christmas wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this four times. It deleted twice and I rewrote it once. Still not amazing but here you have it, another story to add to the 15 Days collection :)


End file.
